“No, I have a feeling I need to do this.” When Diredan continued to ignore me, I kneeled at the center of the crater and placed my hands on the soil. My eyes widened. Beneath my palms, it felt as though the land positivelyroiledwith power.
Diredan?I extended my mental magic downward, spiraling it through the layers of soil beneath us, searching for where the ancient god remained.
Deep beneath the Wood, my magic brushed against something powerful. Mighty. Just as fast, a scoff came.You’ve returned, the god said into my mind.
I stilled, then I pulled my magic back just enough not to touch the god further.
Through the bond, I knew Kole became aware of the god’s presence the second that I did. My mate didn’t move. Not one muscle. Both of us knew it was futile to try to fight Diredanshould we unintentionally provoke him. Still, it was best not to make him angry. If that was possible.
I have, I finally replied. It was on the tip of my tongue to apologize for bothering him, but something told me the God of Vengeance would not respect anyone who portrayed weakness, and something also told me that the god would find apologies weak. So I didn’t say anything further.
Silence came from the soil, but I didn’t dare caress my magic against him again.
Minutes ticked by, and I thought perhaps Diredan was going to ignore me once more, but then he said,You’re different. No heartbeat. No breath. You’re a dead creature, yet you still walk.
I licked my lips and tried to keep my mental response steady.I am.
And tell me, former fairy, how did you become one of the Goddess of Light’s creations?
So he knew. Of course, he knew what I was.My uncle turned me against my will.
And where’s your uncle now?
Dead.
I felt another shift in the soil as the ancient god stirred.Interesting. And who killed him?
My mate and me.
Ah, your mate. The same male who was outside my Wood when you claimed the Wishing Stone.
Yes.I didn’t speak of Kole more since I knew Diredan still grieved the loss of his own mate, Nuleef, the Goddess of Luck.
Diredan rumbled, and the soil vibrated beneath my palms. His slumbering entity grew in power around me, brushing against my own.I wouldn’t have thought it possible for another vampire or vamfeer to roam this realm. Tenevris is long gone, but that’s what your mate is turning into, is he not? A vamfeer?
He is, and I wouldn’t have thought it possible either, but my uncle contacted Tenevris for help, and the god responded.
Diredan scoffed.Tenevris is an egotistical waste of the universe. His ego was probably stroked by your uncle’s interest in him.
I didn’t respond since I wasn’t sure what to say, and I didn’t want to say the wrong thing, so I waited.
Moments ticked by again, and I wondered what it was like for Diredan to have an endless existence. I imagined that time held no meaning for him. What felt like hours to me was just the blink of an eye to him.
I glanced at Kole over my shoulder. All of the Wood’s creatures that I still controlled were circled around the crater behind him, but the warrior’s attention was fixed entirely on me.
I returned my attention to the soil just as Diredan said,And why have you come today? The Wishing Stone is long gone. Not to be here again for many centuries.
I know. But it’s not the Wishing Stone I’m seeking today. It’s you.
The god laughed.Foolish girl. I can see that hasn’t changed even though you’re now a vampire. And what were you hoping to accomplish by bothering me?
I winced but also knew we hadn’t come this far only to retreat.I wanted to ask for your help. As you’ve noted, my mate is turning into a vamfeer, and only a god has the ability to undo the curse that’s been placed upon him.
And why do you want to keep him fae? You’re no longer fae, and some don’t see Tenevris’s magic as a curse.
Perhaps not, but it’s not who my mate is. It’s not what we’re meant to be. My uncle has condemned us with these curses.
The god laughed.You had a clever uncle if he was able to harness Tenevris’s power. Tell me, how did you kill him?
